Bush says war entering risky phase and could widen

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (Reuters) - President George W. Bush warned U.S. troops -- and the nation -- on Wednesday that the war on terrorism was entering a dangerous phase in the mountains of Afghanistan and said the fight against al Qaeda must be extended beyond the Central Asian country's borders.

"Afghanistan is just the beginning on the war against terror," Bush told cheering troops clad in green, black and maroon berets at Fort Campbell, home to the Army's 101st Airborne, as U.S. bombers pounded the last Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan.

"We've made a good start," Bush said. But with al Qaeda and Taliban leaders aligned with Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden retreating to caves and tunnels deep in the mountains of Afghanistan, Bush added, "The most difficult steps in this mission still lie ahead."

"These hide-outs are heavily fortified and defended by fanatics who will fight to the death. Unlike efforts to liberate a town or destroy Taliban equipment, success against these cells may come more slowly. But we'll prevail," Bush told the 15,000-plus crowd.

The visit to Fort Campbell, on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, gave Bush a chance to thank what he called the "fearless hearts" in the U.S. military, and to send a message to the American public that recent successes on the ground in Afghanistan would not bring a quick end to the anti-terror campaign.

Bush also used the visit to issue a stern warning to nations that may harbour al Qaeda members, some of whom may be fleeing from U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan. Washington accuses bin Laden and al Qaeda of masterminding the September 11 hijack attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"If you harbor terrorists, you are a terrorist. If you train or arm a terrorist, you are a terrorist. If you feed a terrorist or fund a terrorist, you're a terrorist and you will be held accountable by the United States," Bush said.

No nations were singled out, but Bush suggested the United States could launch preemptive strikes against al Qaeda and other groups outside Afghanistan's borders.

"There are other terrorists who threaten America and our friends, and there are other nations willing to sponsor them. We will not be secure as a nation until all these threats are defeated," Bush said.

"America's not waiting for terrorists to try to strike us again. Wherever they hide, wherever they plot, we will strike the terrorists."

Bush has already promised to help President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines combat Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim rebel group which operates in the country's south. Washington believes Abu Sayyaf has links to al Qaeda.

With the United Nations planning talks next week on crafting a post-Taliban peace in Kabul, Bush urged leaders "to move quickly toward a government that is broadly based, multiethnic, and protects the rights and dignity of all Afghan citizens, including women."

Earlier on Wednesday, the president and the first lady sat down for a pre-Thanksgiving lunch with several hundred troops, who greeted their commander-in-chief with shouts and a standing ovation.

In the mess hall, the president helped carve a cooked turkey for several service men and women, and on the way to his seat stopped to rub Sergeant Chris Lewis' close-cropped scalp, before declaring, "All right, let's eat."

Members of the 101st Airborne, an air assault division known as the "Screaming Eagles", are taking part in the anti-terrorism campaign from Pakistan.

With 27 of 30 Afghanistan provinces no longer under Taliban control, the United States has turned its focus to hunting down bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders.

The Pentagon has moved hundreds of additional U.S. Marines aboard warships near Afghanistan, but officials refused to say whether Washington might soon mount a major ground search for bin Laden.

Washington has also increased the bounty on bin Laden's head to as much as $25 million in the hope that Afghans would scour their country's vast network of caves and tunnels to flush him into the open.

This could be a whole comedy routine...

If you wake up lying next to a female goat who knows about that ugly mole under your turban... you might be a terrorist...

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